Flora of North America species comparison

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Scrophularia parviflora

Scrophularia

pineland figwort

figwort
Habit Herbs, perennial, 5–11 dm; herbage light green to dark green, puberulent, more densely distally. Subshrubs or herbs, annual or perennial; caudex herbaceous or woody; stolons absent.
Stems

erect, glabrous, glabrate, glandular-pubescent, puberulent, or villous.
Leaves

petiole length 1/6–1/3 blade;

blade lanceolate to ovate, 4–7(–8) cm, length 2–3 times width, base truncate, margins dentate.

persistent, cauline, opposite, decussate;

stipules absent;

petiole present;

blade not fleshy (fleshy in S. desertorum), not leathery, margins serrulate, serrate, dentate, or incised.
Inflorescences

terminal, panicles, sometimes axillary, cymes (S. peregrina);

bracts present.
Pedicels

slender, glabrate or stipitate-glandular.

present;

bracteoles present.
Flowers

corolla red to green, unicolored or ± bicolored, paler abaxially, 6–8 mm, throat ± open;

staminode obovate, length usually greater than width.

bisexual;

sepals 5, calyx radially symmetric, campanulate, lobes triangular-ovate to lanceolate;

petals 5, corolla ± dark, often bicolored, red, black-red, brown-red, brick red, purple-red, cream, or green, often paler abaxially, bilaterally symmetric, proximally inflated, distally constricted, abaxial lobes 1, lateral 2, adaxial 2;

stamens 4, adnate to corolla near base, subdidynamous, filaments glandular-puberulent, staminode (0 or)1, clavate to flabellate, sometimes rudimentary, scalelike or awnlike;

ovary 2-locular, placentation axile;

stigma capitate or 2-lobed.
Fruits

capsules, ± pear-shaped, dehiscence septicidal.
Seeds

100–130+, black to brown, oblong-ovoid, rugose, wings absent.
2n

= 92.

Scrophularia parviflora

Scrophularia
Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat Coniferous forests, riparian areas.
Elevation 1500–3100 m. (4900–10200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
North America; n Mexico; West Indies; Europe; Asia (sw China); n Africa
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Species 150+ (11 in the flora).

Chromosome numbers of 2n = 18, 24, 26, 36, 40, 50, 52, 56, 58, 78, 80, 84, 86, 90, 92, and 96 have been reported for Scrophularia. Base chromosome numbers 7, 9, 10, 12, and 13 have been proposed for Scrophularia (see C. Carlbom 1969); a hypothesis for one distinct base number has yet to be presented.

Scrophularia nodosa Linnaeus, native to Europe, is discussed under 7. S. marilandica. European species S. aquatica Linnaeus (later referred to as S. umbrosa Dumortier), S. auriculata Linnaeus, and S. canina Linnaeus were reported on ballast in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania in the 1870s and 1880s and are not known to have persisted.

North American scrophularias can become especially abundant in areas with human disturbance. Native American uses of Scrophularia were reported by D. E. Moerman (1998).

Scrophularias are visited, and presumably pollinated, by bees, wasps, and other insects. Scrophularia macrantha, with relatively showy, large, red corollas, is often cited as hummingbird-visited, and other species are hummingbird-visited as well; S. montana is a major nectar resource for migrant Selasphorus hummingbirds (D. Heinemann 1992).

Morphological plasticity in Scrophularia produces variation so wide as to make characters that have been used to define and separate some taxa of limited use. The most distinct species are of relatively narrow distribution.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Inflorescences axillary, cymes.
S. peregrina
1. Inflorescences terminal, panicles.
→ 2
2. Pedicels densely villous.
S. villosa
2. Pedicels glabrate or stipitate-glandular.
→ 3
3. Corollas bright red, (10–)13–21 mm.
S. macrantha
3. Corollas black-red, brown-red, brick red, red, purple-red, green, or cream, 5–12(–14) mm.
→ 4
4. Corollas black-red, throats constricted.
S. atrata
4. Corollas brown-red, brick red, red, purple-red, green, or cream, throats open or narrow.
→ 5
5. Herbage light gray-green (fresh leaves fleshy); corollas bicolored, sometimes unicolored, paler abaxially (abaxial lobe often cream to white).
S. desertorum
5. Herbage light green to dark green (fresh leaves not fleshy); corollas unicolored or ± bicolored, paler abaxially.
→ 6
6. Leaf blade margins regularly serrulate or serrate.
→ 7
7. Pedicels relatively stout; petiole lengths 1/12–1/6 blades; blades 8.5–14 cm, lengths 3–4.5 times widths, bases truncate or cuneate, margins regularly serrulate.
S. montana
7. Pedicels slender; petiole lengths 1/3–1/2 blades; blades 10–19(–25) cm, lengths 2–3 times widths, bases rounded to cordate, margins regularly serrate.
S. marilandica
6. Leaf blade margins serrate, dentate, and/or incised.
→ 8
8. Herbage puberulent or glabrate; leaf blades 4–7(–8) cm.
→ 9
9. Herbage puberulent, more densely distally; petiole lengths 1/6–1/3 leaf blades.
S. parviflora
9. Herbage glabrate; petiole lengths 1/3–1/2 leaf blades.
S. laevis
8. Herbage glandular-pubescent, rarely glabrate; leaf blades 8–17(–20) cm.
→ 10
10. Staminodes yellow-green, sometimes green to brown-red, flabellate, lengths less than widths.
S. lanceolata
10. Staminodes red, brown-red, or green, clavate to obovate, lengths greater than widths.
S. californica
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 342. FNA vol. 17, p. 339. Author: Kim R. Kersh.
Parent taxa Scrophulariaceae > Scrophularia Scrophulariaceae
Sibling taxa
S. atrata, S. californica, S. desertorum, S. laevis, S. lanceolata, S. macrantha, S. marilandica, S. montana, S. peregrina, S. villosa
Subordinate taxa
S. atrata, S. californica, S. desertorum, S. laevis, S. lanceolata, S. macrantha, S. marilandica, S. montana, S. parviflora, S. peregrina, S. villosa
Name authority Wooton & Standley: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 16: 173. (1913) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 619. (1753): Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 271. (1754)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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